High Tech Crosswalks

School Zone is a concept crosswalk designed specifically for school zones but has amazing potential for other uses. The system changes several key elements to existing crosswalks promising safety for both pedestrians and drivers.

School Zone comes in a series of elevated slabs to fit any length road. The raised level ensures drivers see children as they cross and also acts as a speed bump forcing them to slow down or risk damaging their vehicles. The elevation also has an added benefit since it meets the exact height of the curb – wheelchairs can cross with ease.

Each slab has a set of illuminated LEDs that work in tandem to direct foot traffic. They time themselves to pre-existing crosswalk signals and turn off one by one indicating time is running out. The system can also run independently if no crosswalk exists.

The prefabricated nature of the system means it can be manufactured to the highest of standards and installed anywhere. You can take it a step further and create temporary crosswalks for special events like concerts and outdoor festivals.

Now if I was to approach this and be amazed at it’s design etc. what’s to remind me that I need to look both ways? The thing needs to be graphically diluted as to distract only a tiny amount of your attention from what coming down the road. The marching procession of LED lights that display where you should be while crossing the street is a great idea though. But don’t make it flashy and complex. Take street signs as a design rule. The are all symbolic and very quickly recognized.

Really… do we really need this? Between the 15mph speed zone, the big yellow signs telling you when you are entering a school zone, the flashing yellow lights telling you when the school zone reduced speed limit is in effect, the fleet of giant yellow colored buses, the hordes of minivans milling about picking up kids, and the non-cop directing traffic at intersections, do we really need something like this, something undoubtedly expensive, to tell you yet again that you are in a school zone where kids might be crossing the road?

Ya I agree, I read up recently on studies in Germany in which various towns removed all street signs. They found a decrease in accidents…I’m not advocating the complete removal of street signs, but some streamlining would be great, the last thing we need are more shiny distractions.

I remember coming to a busy four-way intersection a few years ago. Their was a little girl who wanted to cross, but no one would let her. So when it was my turn, I pulled into the center of the intersection at an angle and blocked everyone. I then motioned for her that it was now safe to cross. Jackasses!

Umm…when it snows and the plow comes through…it will tear this apart. I always loved the reflectors built into the road in seattle….yeah that just won’t work in the rest of country…where it snows.snows.snows.

I think the point of this is to alert drivers to the presence of a crosswalk. Yeah, you can have stoplights and counters and all that crap, but the crosswalk is still just paint on the road. Illuminate that and give tactile feedback to the driver, and it will be far more evident that a crosswalk exists. Good idea, but those lights need to be embedded in the road with some rumble-strips before and after the crosswalk for the tactile feedback – just for the sake of the snowplows.